Today marks four years since my graduation from the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies.  This means I’ve spent as much time as a university graduate as I did as a university student.  The experiences feel parallel in terms of topical variety and timeframe.  I’ve spent three of the past four years in China and one in California; I spent three of my college years in Berkeley and one particularly fabulous(!) year in Chile.  To reflect on what I’ve learned over the past four years, I hereby grant myself a hypothetical certificate in “Applied Modern Chinese Studies.”

A photo from my first week in Jiaxing, in the convenience store across the street from the university.

Looking back at the lessons I’ve learned and the ways I’ve learned them, I propose the following course outline for this certificate:

Applied Chinese Language (3 years):

• Modules include casual chats with vegetable vendors and train travelmates; more than a year of twice-weekly one-on-one lessons with my wonderful tutor Layla; conversations about Barack Obama and basketball with students and taxi drivers; advanced pantomime and guessing; childrens’ books like 喜羊羊与灰太狼 .

喜羊羊与灰 太狼: that translates to “Pleasant Sheep and Big Big Wolf.”   My best purchase today: A book featuring these cute characters, complete with both characters and pinyin.  Its title translates to “The Blue Frog Prince” and I got lots of amused stares as I read it aloud with a patient, amused Chinese friend over dinner at one of my favorite vegetarian restaurants.  Good times.

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